The invention concerns an installation for manufacture of accumulators, particularly suitable for the rapid manufacture of lead accumulators.
The manufacture of accumulators has to be understood in terms of charging them before use.
According to known installations, a plurality of accumulators are placed on roller support surfaces that make it possible to move them along the production line.
In particular, in a first type of installation, the accumulators reach a first filling 10 station, where the electrolyte is fed into the accumulator.
Successively, an operator connects the poles of each accumulator to an electric network that, powered by a suitable power unit, supplies the electric energy that is necessary to charge the accumulators.
After the charging phase, which lasts from 18 to 24 hours in total, an operator disconnects the accumulators from the electric network and conveys them to a second filling station, where each accumulator is emptied and is then refilled with electrolyte with final density.
Another known type of installation features the forced circulation of the electrolyte inside the accumulator, during the charging phase. This ensures considerable reduction in accumulator charging time, provided that some parameters like the density and temperature of the acids are kept constant.
It is important to consider that the complex electric and hydraulic networks constituting the installation make it necessary to operate on a substantially horizontal plane.
The main drawback of the described installations is represented by the fact that, being substantially developed on a horizontal plane, they occupy large surfaces, which considerably influences the implementation and maintenance costs of the installation itself.
In particular, the cost of the racks constitutes a considerable share of the total expenses required for the implementation of the structure.
Another drawback is represented by the fact that the operators inhale noxious substances deriving from the evaporation of the acid solutions present inside the accumulator.
The aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.
One of the first goals of the invention is the implementation of an accumulator manufacturing installation that, though maintaining the number of accumulators treated at the same lime unchanged, should occupy a quite smaller surface than the known installations, thus reducing the installation costs considerably.
A further aim is the implementation of an installation that should make it possible to reduce the necessary personnel, though maintaining the same productivity as the known installations.
Another aim of the present invention is that the installation, during the forming of the elements, should make it possible to control the noxious gases developed during the process in the best possible way, so that the operators in charge with the installation don""t have any contact with these gases.
The present invention is also aimed at implementing a modular installation that may be adapted and enlarged according to the needs.
The aims mentioned above have been achieved through the implementation of an installation for manufacturing accumulators including:
a plurality of pallets, each for supporting a plurality of accumulators aligned side by side;
at least one loading station to place said accumulators on a pallet;
at least one unloading station for the receiving of the accumulators from the pallet;
power supply means for feeding said accumulators to be formed;
electrolyte feeding means for filling the accumulators including:
a casing having a plurality of projecting supports positioned side by side and aligned in vertical direction, for supporting said pallets in a substantially horizontal position, one on top of the other, in such a way as to create a number of manufacturing stations;
handling means for moving said pallets among said loading and unloading stations and said manufacturing stations.
The invention makes it possible to considerably increase the productivity of the accumulator manufacturing process compared with the known installations.
Another to advantage of the invention is the introduction of a continuous accumulator production line.
The invention makes it possible to improve the filling process, thus reducing production times.